Leaving
by Dragonsbane1611
Summary: (NLG) It's alright, though," he said and she reached to pat his shoulder as he now stood a bit taller than she. "It's perfectly alright, son."


Arg ... More backstory for Supposed Happiness by Mooncroww --- forgot about this and found it this morning.

_**Leaving  
**__Spring-Summer 2004_

Looking away from the upside-down magazine in her hands, he turned to watch the countryside flying by outside the window.

"All of it," Harry was saying.

He smiled absently when a playful banter ensued between his friend and the lady pushing the food trolley.

"It is so possible, I did it once before," Harry informed her.

"Oh, yes, you and the lad with the red hair ... just first years then, right?"

"Are you getting sentimental on me?"

"It's not every year I clean out my trolley to one compartment, let alone one boy. Let an old woman have a memory or two."

"Or two," the young man repeated, eyeing a stack of chocolate frogs.

"Your father was fond of them as well," the woman smiled.

Harry turned a open-mouthed stare on her and breathed, "You are old, aren't you?"

Neville's head spun to frown at the two in the door of the compartment.

"Oh ho ho," the woman laughed, eyes wide, "Cheeky, this one." She winked at Neville as she said the last and he shook his head, returning to the window.

"Thanks, and, hey, maybe I'll see you around ... on the outside."

"Unlikely. Just get one of your little ones on here so I can bother them," she admonished beginning to push away, her cart already refilling on it's own.

"You'll _really _be old by the time I have children old enough to ride this train," he called out of the compartment.

"I'll be looking forward to it," came the response.

Chuckling, Harry returned to his seat across from Neville and opened a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"Cheeky mare ..." he muttered. "She shorted me a bean."

With that, he got to his feet and left the compartment.

Luna turned the periodical right side up and shook her head a little.

"That just doesn't make sense," she muttered, closing it and setting it aside.

Neville looked at her oddly, but turned away quickly when she faced him.

"Whisper for your wonderings."

He had to look.

"What?"

"Whisper for your wonderings," she offered again, in her faraway voice.

"Oh, I'm not wondering, really. Just thinking mostly."

She gazed expectantly at him with her wide blue eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips.

""Right then," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I was just thinking about what I'm going to do now that I'm out of school."

Silently, she watched him.

"Er, I, um, have been considering applying for a position at a nursery or greenhouse i..."

"Ooohhh," she breathed, smiling, her eyes widening even further, "You would be good at that, Neville."

His cheeks reddened slightly and his eyes went back to the window.

"What else were you thinking about?"

He hesitated a bit before quietly admitting, "My family."

Luna was silent for a moment and Neville turned to see if she was waiting for him to go on. She was frowning thoughtfully.

"What are they like, your parents?" she queried finally.

"I live with my grandmother," he told her, almost mechanically.

"I know."

He blinked at her and, still, she waited.

"Well ..." he began. "My Dad doesn't say a whole lot. He likes to sit by the window and just watch."

The girl smiled and nodded.

"And, my mother. She likes to move around a little more. Sitting and watching isn't for her. Every time I see her, she's got something new to give me. They were Aurors once."

"I like your parents."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I like you, Neville, and you're just like them."

He furrowed his brow and turned his gaze back to the countryside.

"What do you plan on doing when you get out of school next year?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Never really thought about it, actually. Not particularly worried about it."

Neville turned to face her yet again.

"But it's the rest of your life out there."

"No, the rest of my life is in here," she told him, pointing to her heart. "Out there," the girl nodded toward the window, "Is where I live it."

He thought on this for a bit and changed his question.

"Where are you going to live it, then?"

"Wherever the train leaves me."

"I wish I could think like that," he admitted quietly. "Not worry about anything, just breathe."

"You can. You just have to leave."

"Leave what?"

"All of it."

"All of what?"

"All of it."

He concluded, "I can't leave it all."

Nodding, Luna thought for a moment and said, "I owe you a whisper." She leaned close to his ear and breathed, "Leaving isn't forgetting; it's loving enough to let go."

"Letting go isn't that easy."

"It is when you have something else to hold on to."

The door to the compartment opened and Luna sat back from him and returned to her magazine.

"Got my bean," Harry declared proudly. "It's blackberry."

"Those are good," Luna commented vaguely.

"Would you like it?" he offered, holding it out in the palm of his hand. The girl lowered the publication.

Neville watched the interaction, still thinking about what she told him.

"Are you sure? You went to all the trouble of getting it."

Harry smiled and sat beside her.

"Yeah, here."

She took the sweet and popped it in her mouth.

"Let's have a look," he said, motioning to the magazine and he began reading with her.

Neville saw her smile to herself and looked back at the window.

* * *

Stepping off the train he saw his grandmother and she waved him over. He made his way to her until someone stopped him.

"Well?" Luna queried.

"That's my grandmother. I've got to go."

The girl leaned on her upended trunk.

"You're leaving, then?"

Considering this, he nodded, "Yes, I am leaving."

She hugged him and he froze, caught off guard for just a moment before he returned the embrace. Mrs. Longbottom cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at them.

"Will you visit the Burrow this summer?" Luna asked, not releasing him.

"Uh, yeah, until the others start their training."

"I'll be seeing you," she smiled, moving away from him and went to her father.

"That was unusual," his grandmother remarked when he arrived at her side. Almost playfully – if she could even be anything near playful – she added, "But then again ... she is a Lovegood."


End file.
